Tag Archives: pay to play

After serving 20 months behind bars for a pay-to-play scandal, former city and state Comptroller Alan Hevesi was released from prison with more than two years remaining on his sentence.

The disgraced politician received the maximum four-year sentence in April 2011 after pleading guilty to corruption charges involving the state’s pension fund. Hevesi accepted $1 million worth of gifts in exchange for investing more than $250 million in a pension fund run by Elliott Broidy.

Hevesi, who had been serving his time at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Oneida County, was granted his freedom by the parole board last month and will remain on parole until April 2015.

“My entire family is very happy he is coming home,” said Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi, one of Alan’s three children. “We have missed him.”

The 72 year old was successful in his second appearance before the parole after being denied his release last year.

Hevesi told the board during his parole hearing in November that during his first year in prison he was in denial and attempted to minimize his transgressions.

“Maybe this is wrong, but I willfully turned away from [the crimes] and decided not to inquire, I allowed it to happen and that is why I am in prison and that is why I did not challenge it, because, you know what, I am guilty,” he said.

After nearly two years behind bars for a pay-to-play scandal, former city and state Comptroller Alan Hevesi was granted parole last night, the state’s Department of Corrections said.

Hevesi was successful in his second appearance before a state parole board and is scheduled to be released by December 19. The 72-year-old will remain on probation until April 2015.

The disgraced politician received the maximum four-year sentence in April 2011 after pleading guilty to corruption charges involving the state’s pension fund.

Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi, the former comptroller’s son, said his father has been “extensively punished” for allowing himself to become corrupt.

“He let corruption flourish around him by intentionally denying what was happening in his office. In addition to the betrayal of the public trust, my father has also taken responsibility for several lifelong patterns that have hurt his family and friends that are unrelated to what happened in the comptroller’s office,” the assemblymember said.

Hevesi has served the past 19 months at the medium-security Mid-State Correctional Facility in Oneida County.

The parole board found Hevesi would not pose a “risk of safety to the community” if released and should continue to serve his sentence on probation.

“My dad has owned and taken responsibility for his actions, he has been extensively punished for them, and now he and my entire family are closing the book on this part of our lives,” the younger Hevesi said.